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Still on her bottle at three!

Our granddaughter turned 3 in March. She still uses a bottle for drinking. She is bright, sweet and healthy. Her parents (her Dad is my stepson) are not together. They both give her the bottle easily without offering an alternative like a sippy cup . I would like to let them know she is too old for her bottle. Well, my stepson really. Any suggestions? I have tried offering her a sippy cup when she is at our house, and she insists on a bottle. When I tell her we don't have one, my husband says give it to her (I have one) since we don't have her a lot, don't rock the boat. Really?! She's too old for a bottle, my opinion. But, I'm the minority.

You may be right, but you aren't the one raising her. Talk to your stepson about it. Tell him how you feel about it. Why you feel that way, with health issues and all. Then allow him to make that decision. Then stay out of it.

My MIL had the same advice to me before my son was a year old. I told her to shut up.

Oh yeah, I'm sure my stepson would tell me to mind my business, I'm not raising her. So - I'll not mention it. I think I will say something about what the dentist says about what happens to teeth though. Thanks

Quoting Basherte:

You may be right, but you aren't the one raising her. Talk to your stepson about it. Tell him how you feel about it. Why you feel that way, with health issues and all. Then allow him to make that decision. Then stay out of it.

My MIL had the same advice to me before my son was a year old. I told her to shut up.

I'm not saying don't mention it. I would ask what she loves to drink. Then maybe say something about a straw'd cup that is leakproof and spill proof. See if he would be okay with you giving one as a gift. Something like that. Mostly it's all about how it's brought up, and not the subject itself. I have been known to take advice and suggestions from a lot of people. The only time I am upset by it is if it comes off as me being told to do something. Now you are worried about your granddaughter's teeth. Not how it appears. If you bring it up like that, he might be okay with it. There are cups with straws that are spill proof and leak proof, if the issue is spills and such. Which is better than a bottle to be honest. Plus they take a lot less to clean. *giggles*

Or just give her one of those as a gift. That way you are just being helpful, not telling him how to raise his girl. Make it one of a character she really likes. or just really pretty colors.

I get where you are coming from, and understand your concern.

Quoting sonshining:

Oh yeah, I'm sure my stepson would tell me to mind my business, I'm not raising her. So - I'll not mention it. I think I will say something about what the dentist says about what happens to teeth though. Thanks

Quoting Basherte:

You may be right, but you aren't the one raising her. Talk to your stepson about it. Tell him how you feel about it. Why you feel that way, with health issues and all. Then allow him to make that decision. Then stay out of it.

My MIL had the same advice to me before my son was a year old. I told her to shut up.

I would just leave it alone. When she's ready to not use bottles anymore she won't. I know when my family members say something THEY DON'T LIKE about how i'm raising my children they get a serious *side eye.* And it typically doesn't go over well, at all. It always comes of as an issue because of how they feel vs it REALLY being a serious health issue. Because if it was that serious, then the authorities like Child Protective Services should be involved.

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